Improved cae-eeplacee



-@with Vgisten 'gstmt @Him nnss DAVIS, orv UTIGAQNEW YORK;

Letters .Patent No. 79,325, dated June 30, 1868.

-ovv.-

IMPRVED GAR-REPLAGER.

TO AL-I-WHOM IT MAY CONQERN:

Beit known that I, REES DAVIS, of Utica, in the' county f Oneida, and State of New York-have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Car Replacers. I A

The nature of my invertion and improvement consists in combining the frogs composing the car-replacer of wood and iron orlsteelfin such nia-nner that while sufficient strength and firmness are secured, the frogs are light, and capable of being easily handled; second,in formingI the frogs of different lengths, by means of which the cars are necessarily brought upon the rails,.and'do not runoi` upon the opposite side ofthe track, as is usual with inventions hitherto iu use; and, third, in furnishing each frog-with a toe or' projection on its front end and under side, which isA pressed into the tie by the weighty of the carl when the wheels `strike the frogs, by means of which the frogs are held in place while the car is being moved upon the track.

And. I do hereby declare thatthe .followingsis a full, clear, and exact description of my said improvement, and. of the mode of operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,l in which- Figure l is Vn. plan of the railroad-traclaud the csr-replacer attached thereto.

Figure 2 represents aside viewot` the longer or outer frog, and

Figure 3 a like view ofthe shorter or inner frog. c!l a are the railroad-ties.

Zz 5 are the rails. l

`c e are the wood part ofthe frogs.

d is lo. plate between the wood part and the rail of the outer or longer frog.

d. is a. flange thereon, by which it i's-'leld to the track.

e e are the rails of the frogs.

e1 is a. fiange on the shorter frog-rail, to hold it to the track.

e2 e2 are toes on the frog-rails fis aclamp for holding the. rail Aof the short frog to the wood.

g is a sliding clamp, by which the long frog `is also held to the track.

The invention may be used on any form of rail.

Four frogs form .a set, a`iight-hand pairand a. left-hand pair, one pair of which is for replacing cars which have turned oi'to theright, and the other Apair for replacing cars which have turned off to the left. Each pair is composed of a short and a. long frog. The material and construction of' each pair is the same, whether right I hander left hand, except that the angcs' d and el and clamp g must be respectively on the side of the frog next to the `trackaail Av fhenfsuch frog is inl place, and the frog-rails must run diagonallyon the vwood part to the right or left, according` to the side it is to bo usedom.' In fig. l the frogs t'urn to the left; figs. 2 and 3 represent frogs which turn to the right.

vThe base or under part of the frog is of stout wood, of such thickness as to bring the top'therecf, even with the track-rail' when lying inv piace on the ties, asiseen in (iig. 1. The front endof cach wood is tapered down on the upper side to a wedge-form, as seen in figs. 2 and 3.

Th'e'rails e e are of iron or steel,`and are light and narrow, and ofthe thickness ofthe depth of the flange of al carl'wheeh 'The front ends ofthe rails are curved to conform to the bevelled surface of thc wood part, while their"extreme points, e2 c2, are turned down, end projeet below the under side ofthe wood, as seen in gs. 2 and 3 The rail for the inner or short frog has a stout flange, el, on its side towards the track-rail, which flange extends downwards'to near the hasefiangc of the track-rail when in place, and so arranged that the wood, c, is on the inside of 'the rail b, the rail c resting on the top of b, and the flange el on the outside of the track-rail b, while the front end is turned diagonally about halfway across the wood, as seen in g. 1. The ange el should be so loose as to allow the front end of the frog to be moved sideways, say from'fiour to ten inches, so as to accommodate the frog to the wheel.

The longer rail has no flange on it, but it has a stout metallic plate, d, between it and the wood, c. This plate is Ermly attached to the wood, c, and tho rail e as rmly attached to the plate, which plate has a flange, ol', similar to el, attached to its upper inner corner. The necessitj,7 of this plate arises from the very great strain on the outer frog, as it gives strength to the frog. The rail c is placed diagonally on the wood, c, like the rail on the short frog, as'descriloed. Near the centre ofthe longer 'Frog is a sliding arm or clamp, g, for aiding in holding the frog to the rail. It has a flange or shoulder on its inner end to clasp the track-rail b, with a a series of pin-holes on the other end, by which the frog may heV keyed a't the desired distance from the trackrail b.

The length ofthe longest frog should be about fivefcct, and the shortest about four feet.

The operation is as follows:

When a. car or engine has run oft the track, the front ends of the frogs are placed each under a wheel, the long frog under the outer `one, with the toes e2 e2 on a tie, and the anges cZ and e over the adjacent rail while the clamp g should be keyed in proper position.

As the toes c1 and el are on al line, thev other end of the long frog is in advance of the short one, on the track-rails. 1i', now, the car is forced forward, the wheels, striking the frogs, will press the toes agee into the tie, which will, in a great measure, prevent the frogs from slipping, and the car may be run upon the track. As soon as the forward wheel reaches the end ofthe short frog, it will fall down in place upon the track-rail Z1. The other wheel being upon the other frog, will cause the flange of the wheel on Z to press against the trackrail, and when the opposite wheel comes to the end of the long frogs, it also will fall down in place on the track-rail. l

'lhe hind wheels of the truck will pass on in the same manner, andrso vwill those of the rear truck in most cases; but if they do not follow. the forward ones, the frogs may be moved to accommodate them. As the rails ofthe frogsmust be at a greater or less angle to the track-rail, there is a tendency in the wheels to run across the track, instead of turning on to it, thus often placing the car in a more diilicult position to replace than at first, and where 'the frogs are of the same length, it is di'licult to prevent it. But'by making the frogs ot' different lengths, the Wheels are forced upon the rails with entire certainty.

I do not claim the invention of frogs for the purpose mentioned, independent of the inode of construction and operation, substantially as described, as short rails have heretofore been used for the purpose of replacing cars but from their mode of construction they have not answered thc purpose. The improvements which I have made, full)r obviatc all the difficulties.

What I do claim, therefore, as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

A railroad-car replacer, constructed of woodand iron,with the frogs of dilt'erent lengths, arranged and adapted to the rails, substantially as described, and for the uses and purposes mentioned.

BEES DAVIS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE M. WEM'ER, JOHN G. Snoeren. 

